The Post War BOOM 7.6: Explain the causes and consequences of social and cultural changes in post war America

Returning Soldiers By the summer of 1946, over 10 million members of the armed forces returned home.By the summer of 1946, over 10 million members of the armed forces returned home. Veterans tried to settle down and rebuild their lives.Veterans tried to settle down and rebuild their lives. GI Bill- to help veterans ease into civilian life, Congress passed the GI Bill of Rights which encouraged vets to get an education and provided loans.GI Bill- to help veterans ease into civilian life, Congress passed the GI Bill of Rights which encouraged vets to get an education and provided loans. Veterans took advantage of the bill thus providing a more educated and skilled workforce that,in turn, promoted the economic and cultural growth in the post war era.Veterans took advantage of the bill thus providing a more educated and skilled workforce that,in turn, promoted the economic and cultural growth in the post war era.

GI Bill

Baby Boom It seems to me that every other young housewife I see is pregnant. -- British visitor to America,  1 baby born every 7 seconds The end of the Great Depression, WWII and the prosperity following the war led to the explosion in the birthrate.

Baby Boom: Impact on Child Care and education The baby boom led to an increase in the number of school age children and placed a strain on the educational system that new schools were needed.

Suburban Living Returning veterans who had married and began families needed more housing, spurring suburbanization. Suburbs- homes in small residential communities surrounding cities. Factors that contributed to the growth of suburbia: –Baby Boom -- GI Bill –Automobile-- White flight Many African Americans had moved to the North to find jobs and to escape racism. Yet, as middle and upper class people moved to the suburbs so did jobs/businesses thus leaving the cities with high unemployment, limited services and a shrinking tax base.

The ‘burbs

Suburban Living: The Typical TV Suburban Families The Donna Reed Show Leave It to Beaver Father Knows Best The Ozzie & Harriet Show

Consumerism 1950  Introduction of the Diner’s Card All babies were potential consumers who spearheaded a brand-new market for food, clothing, and shelter. -- Life Magazine (May, 1958) Pent-up demand for consumer goods that were unaffordable during Depression years and unavailable during wartime created markets for a wide array of goods and services and helped create a consumer culture. Demand led to an increase in production, more jobs and consequently an economic boom in the ‘50s.

Consumerism is boosted through advertisements

The Culture of the Car First McDonald’s (1955) America became a more homogeneous nation because of the automobile. Drive-In Movies Howard Johnson’s

Well-Defined Gender Roles The ideal modern woman married, cooked and cared for her family, and kept herself busy by joining the local PTA and leading a troop of Campfire Girls. She entertained guests in her family’s suburban house and worked out on the trampoline to keep her size 12 figure. -- Life magazine, 1956 The ideal 1950s man was the provider, protector, and the boss of the house. -- Life magazine,  William H. Whyte, Jr.  The Organization Man A a middle-class, white suburban male is the ideal.

Teen Culture Behavioral Rules of the 1950s:  Obey Authority.  Control Your Emotions.  Don’t Make Waves  Fit in with the Group.  Don’t Even Think About Sex!!!

Teen Culture In the 1950s the word “teenager” “teenager” entered the American language. By 1956 13 mil. teens with $7 bil. to spend a year  “race music”  “ROCK ‘N ROLL” Elvis Presley  “The King”

Religious Revival Today in the U. S., the Christian faith is back in the center of things. -- Time magazine, 1954 Today in the U. S., the Christian faith is back in the center of things. -- Time magazine, 1954 Church membership: 1940  64,000,  114,000,000 Television Preachers: 1. Catholic Bishop Fulton J. Sheen  “Life is Worth Living” 2. Methodist Minister Norman Vincent Peale  The Power of Positive Thinking 3. Reverend Billy Graham  ecumenical message; warned against the evils of Communism.

Religious Revival Hollywood: apex of the biblical epics. It’s un-American to be un-religious! -- The Christian Century, 1954 The Robe The Ten Commandments Ben Hur The Robe The Ten Commandments Ben Hur

Progress Through Science First IBM Mainframe Computer Hydrogen Bomb Test DNA Structure Discovered Salk Vaccine Tested for Polio First Commercial U. S. Nuclear Power Plant NASA Created Press Conference of the First 7 American Astronauts

Progress Through Science 1957  Russians launch SPUTNIK I 1958  National Defense Education Act

Progress Through Science UFO Sightings skyrocketed in the 1950s. War of the Worlds Hollywood used aliens as a metaphor for whom ??

Progress Through Science Atomic Anxieties:  “Duck-and-Cover Generation” Atomic Testing: à  U. S. exploded 217 nuclear weapons over the Pacific and in Nevada.